Aeroplane.



No. 730,107. PATENTED JUNE 2. 1903.

- T. GIBON.

AEROPLANE.

APBLIOLTLON P ILED NOV. 19, 1902.

no MODEL. I s unis-ennui;

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEYS No. 730,107. 7 I :PATENTE'D JUNE2,1\903..

v T. GIBON.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED H0119, 1902. no MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET 2., 1

WITNESSES} y INVENTOR fwd/4 154 77/6000 6160 ATTORN EYS n4: "owns PETERS ca. PHOYD-LITNO" WASNINO'YCIN, o. c.

No. 730,107. I PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903. 1

- T. GIBON. I

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED NQVJIQ, 1902.

no MODEL. I Y s SHEETS-SHEET 3L 3m Ban m 'INVENTOR 77/5000 67! do V HI'S'ATTOR N EY' UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903-.

TnnoDoR GIBON, F OLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

AEROPLANE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 730,107, dated une 2, 1903.

' Application filed November 19, 1902. Serial No. 132.033. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR GIBON, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Clarksville, in" the county of Montgomery, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the-following is a specificatio'n.

This invention relates to aeroplanes of the construction described in my United States Letters Patent No. 710,266, dated September 30, 1902; and my improvements consist,

' gitudinal section through the aeroplane.

Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the pendulum-valve. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the steering-valves and their connections, and Fig. 7 is a section of the valve V.

The aeroplane is composed of a longitudinal hollow body G, with lateral wings W W, preferably fiat and hollow to contain the distributing pipes. Within the body 0 are tanks T T to provide a supply of suitable motive fluid. The upper and lower surfaces of the wings are provided with dischargenozzle openings projecting aft in a slightly-- inclined direction, as described in my patent and as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2. The blasts of motive fluid emitted from these openings propel the aeroplane by reaction. A door D may be cut in the rear-of the body, and discharge-nozzles 12 maybe also located at the rear of the body for propelling purposes. A pendulum-valve P is hung within the car, and the valve-casing is connected with the tank T by a supply-pipe t, Fig. 5. This valve has hollow casing or globe G to be secured to the body'of the aeroplane, and it has a central circular opening underneath. Around its horizontal equator are provided four openings 2, 3, 4, and-5, which are piped to connect with certain discharge-nozzles in certain sections of the wings. These pipin gs valve having four outlets to with nozzles 41 43 fore and aft on the lower starboard surface,Fig. 4.

Rear pipe 3 connects with upper dischargeoutlets 30 and 31 aft, Fig. 3, and also with lower discharge-outlets 32 33 forward, Fig.4.

Starboard pipe 5 connects with upper di 1 1 charge-outlets 51 and 53 on the starboard side,

Fig.- 3, and also with the lower discharge-outlets 50 and 52 on the port side, Fig. 4.

The valve proper is a hemispherical cup S,

fitting the globe G and provided with a weighted pendulum p, acting on the tilting of the aeroplane to cut off connection between the interior of the globe and one or other of the pipes 2, 3, 4, and. 5 by moving the hemispherical valve-body S so as to overlap and I close one of the said openings. As the aeroplane dips downward at its bow, for example,

the upper margin of the valve S remaining in a horizontal plane will cover the forward opening 2, and thus out 01f the blast to the nozzles connected to it, as shown in Fig. '5; When the bow of the aeroplane rises, the cupvalve will cut off the opening 3. If the aeroplane dips too far' to port, the valve S will cut off the opening 4. If the aeroplane dips too far to starboard, the valve S will close the opening 5. This pendulum-valve thus will tend automatically to maintain the aeroplane in equilibrium.

The aeronaut may have an inclosing shell s,overlooking the window 10 and in close prox-. imity to valves V, W, and c, as described in my patent. These valves are hand-operated and connect each one with four different dischargenozzles in the wings. Thus valve V connects with l 6", 7, and 2. Valve V connects with 4 5", 8, and 3", &c., as will be clearly's'een on reference to the diagram, Fig. 6. v

The pipe 15 leads from the tank T and connects with the valves V V V7, and V each nected as shown) V, with branches 2 and l normally running free through valve V, Fig. 7, while the branches 1 2 normally run freely through valve V Valve V besides the pipes 2 and 1 has pipes 7 and 6 branched to valve V. The shutting of valve V closes the nozzles 2 1 1 2 thereby unbalancing the points at which reaction may take place on the surface of the aeroplane, while closing valve V shuts off 2, 6 7, and 1. These valves are generally worked in pairs 1 and 2,

3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8 to provide different results, as hereinafter described.

In operation I prefer to start the aeroplane in a closed-end upwardly-inclined tunnel fitting the rear cross-section of the device fairly accurately, then generating and admitting the driving-blast to all the nozzles, and thus cause the machine to soar upwardly into the air and continue the trajectory of its flight until the pendulum-valve p accomplishes its purpose, to benow described more specifically. In this inclined position the opening 3 is closed by the cup S cutting off the upper port and starboard aft discharge-nozzles 30 31 and the lower port and starboard forward nozzles 32 and 33, causing the blasts projected from the upper surface at the forward part and those projected from the lower surface at the aft part to be in excess of the two upper aft sections and two lower forward sections, thereby causing the aeroplane to turn on its transverse axis 1 1 until anearly horizontal position is reached, when the opening 3 will he uncovered and the pressure equalized on all sections of the Wings.

Should the aeroplane in its flight take the position dipping its bow downwardly and to port openings 2 and 4 will be closed, Fig. 5, stopping the reaction effect at nozzles 20 21,

23 and 23,40 42,41 43, and so bringing the aeroplane back to the desired nearly horizontal position. In like manner all sorts of combinations of dips will be automatically corrected by the pendulum-valve. On the other hand, by a suitable manipulation of the handcontrolled valves the aeronaut has it at all times within his control to direct the flight of the aeroplane. Thus should he desire to steer to the right he will operate one or more of the valves to shut otf the discharge at one or more points on the right side, preferably above and below equally. Again, if it be desired to descend the aeronaut will manipulate one or more of the valves to shut off the discharges at 4: 5", 4 and 7", Fig. 3, on the up per side of both aft sections and also to shut off the discharges at 3 6, 3" 8, Fig. 4-, on

her of openings connected to said outlets,

said valve being adapted to control the flow of motive fluid to outlets in the different sections to automatically keep the aeroplane in equilibrium, substantially as described.

2. An aeroplane having reaction dischargeoutlets in different sections of its wings, with a pendulum-valve,havingan inlet and a 1111111- ber of openings connected to said outlets,and adapted to automatically control the flow of motive fluid to said outlets in the different sections in combination with hand-operated valves adapted to control the flow to other outlets in the different sections to counteract the automatic control when desired, substantially as described.

3. An aeroplane having wings, dischargeoutlets in various sections of the wings, motive-fluidsupply piping to the wings, and means inserted in the piping adapted to antomatically shut off the supply from different sections of the wings as the aeroplane dips in various directions, substantially as described.

at. An aeroplane having a weighted pendulum-valve for controlling distribution of fluidpressure to different discharge outletaa valvecasing comprising a hollow globe, an inletopening, and outlet-openings to the hollow globe, said pendnlum-valve being adapted to be swung by gravity so as to move the valve to cut off one or more of the said outlet-openings, substantially as described.

5. In combination with anaeroplane, ahollow globe, a pressure-inlet, fore, aft, port and starboard openings in the globes surface connecting to various points of the aeroplane, a valve fitted within the globe, and having a pendulum depending from it, to move said valve to automatically cut oil certain required openings as the aeroplane dips, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'IIIEODOR JJBON.

\Vitnesses:

I I. P. PICKERING, L. (J. DAVIS. 

